Money Mondays: Do You Have One of Today’s Most Meaningful Jobs?

PLAY AUDIOMellody Hobson talks about money and the economy on today’s “Money Mondays” segment.

Today, I want to talk about jobs. Specifically, what do you think is the highest paying, most meaningful job in the country?

Payscale.com is a website that allows people to see what they’re worth and what they should be paying employees. Payscale spent the past year surveying 40 million professionals with 100 common jobs, asking about their annual salary as well as the question, “Does your job make the world a better place?” Respondents could choose between: “Very much so,” “Yes,” “A little,” “No,” and “My job makes the world a worse place.”

The idea was to identify the highest paying jobs that also make people feel good about what they do. Of course, we all know that some of the most important jobs that contribute to society aren’t necessarily the most financially rewarding: Teachers are a prime example; they’re not in it for the money. But what about those rare jobs where you’re well compensated AND the rewards are also philanthropic?

So who topped the list?

The three jobs that pay the most and score the highest “feel-good” scores are neurosurgeon, cardiothoracic surgeon and anesthesiologist.

Senior construction manager came in at #8, with a median pay of over $120,000 and the percentage of people who “feel the job is meaningful” a stunning 100%!

Hospital administrators, pharmacists, midwives, deputy fire chiefs and police lieutenants were all in the top 20. If you are thinking about a career change, those are the “sweet spots” of the job market that offer financial rewards and the less tangible rewards of altruism.